I’ve been a proud and vocal Android fan since the Nexus One…but I have an iPad on my desk instead of an Android tablet. Apple consistently and reliably beats the competition when it comes to tablets, and only Samsung can compete at the high end. But when it comes to smaller, higher-quality tablets, even Samsung doesn’t want to compete with the powerful iPad Mini.
That’s a shame. There’s a market for smaller, high-end tablets that are easier to hold and read for longer periods of time than 10- or 12-inch screens. But the iPad Mini is so good, or just sells so well, that any competitor thinks it’s a waste of time to challenge it. And they’re probably right.
I should have known, I saw it — the iPad Mini just got a 7th generation refresh after being unchanged for three years. At the time, we couldn’t find any replacements for 8-inch or 9-inch Android tablets in the same high-end category. There are several different factors at play here, so let’s examine them.
Who would be afraid of a big bad little tablet?
The first is that if you’re going to dip your toe into the waters of smaller tablets, you’re also going to be competing with others. cheap tablet. Retail prices for the iPad Mini start at $500 (which rises to a whopping $950 with all the extra features!), but in theory something very similar on the Android side could cost around $150 if you look for it. You can find it for less than a dollar. And I’m not talking about unknown brands here. Samsung and Lenovo both offer products in this category, not to mention the Amazon Fire series, which is probably the most well-known after the iPad.
A typical budget product, the Lenovo Tab M9 starts at just $140.
A typical budget product, the Lenovo Tab M9 starts at just $140.
lenovo
A typical budget product, the Lenovo Tab M9 starts at just $140.
lenovo
lenovo
It’s a crowded and contentious market with very low profit margins. So trying to make a small Android tablet that rivals the iPad Mini in terms of affordability or quality is a tricky business.
It’s been tried before. As an Android reporter and reviewer, I’ve read a lot of tablets, including the second-generation Nexus 7, the LG G Pad (also in nice Google packaging), and Samsung’s smaller tab and notebook designs. I remember. Unsurprisingly, all these lines are gone. Customers can either buy a tablet like the Galaxy S tablet (which has a really nice OLED screen!), buy something cheaper from Amazon or a similar design, or just buy an iPad. It was either.
High-end Android tablets were a decade ago, like this LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition (LGGP83GPE for short).
High-end Android tablets were a decade ago, like this LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition (LGGP83GPE for short).
LG
High-end Android tablets were a decade ago, like this LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition (LGGP83GPE for short).
LG
LG
That’s the price factor. But there’s another aspect that makes selling small, high-end Android tablets difficult. That’s something we’re also fighting with form factor.
For the past few years, I’ve been looking for a high-end cell phone under 6 inches for my sister. Especially in the American market, that’s almost impossible. Mobile phones have become absolutely huge, with even low-end smartphones starting at 6.5 inches and getting bigger to the point where 7- or 8-inch tablets no longer make sense.
It’s just the equivalent size. Personally, I’ve almost completely abandoned the tablet form factor since purchasing the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Sure, the unfolded screen isn’t as big as the iPad Mini…but you can carry it in your pocket without needing anything extra. Keep it in your bag and you won’t have to get a second data connection or tether to your phone.
Foldable smartphones and small tablets are about the same size, and larger standard smartphones are about the same size.
Foldable smartphones and small tablets are about the same size, and larger standard smartphones are about the same size.
Michael Crider/Foundry
Foldable smartphones and small tablets are about the same size, and larger standard smartphones are about the same size.
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
Small tablets are under attack from both the low-end and high-end ends of the smartphone market. It seems like only Apple can make a high-end model work. Other companies are busy selling low-cost models aimed at children or niche applications such as industrial point-of-sale management.
But despite my pessimism, if you want something better than Amazon Fire at this size, there are a few other options besides Apple.
“Gaming Tablet”
There are few small tablet models that aim to be more than a budget design, but they also aim at a niche market of gamers. Lenovo’s Legion Tab is an 8.8-inch Android-powered tablet that’s meant to hold up comfortably during long mobile gaming sessions. But even if you’re not a gamer, the high-quality 144hz screen, Snapdragon 8+ processor, and dual stereo speakers are better than the competition.
Unfortunately, Lenovo seems to be running into the same problem as other companies. The Legion Tab is second generation, but it doesn’t appear to have been updated since 2023, and Lenovo doesn’t sell it in its online store either. As far as I know, it never even appeared on the US market. The Y700 model is available for just under $300 on places like AliExpress and other import stores, and even more at third-party stores like Walmart.
Razer also made one of these Snapdragon-powered gaming tablets, but the 6.8-inch Edge is much more like a phone than a tablet (you can also buy it directly from Verizon with 5G radio). It’s also pricey at $400, but it comes with a very nice Kishi mobile controller. But then again, if you’re buying a tablet this small, there’s a pretty good chance you can get a similar experience on your phone by just adding a controller to the top.
These gaming tablets, not to mention Nintendo’s 800-pound Switch gorilla, face a unique form factor crisis between standard cell phones and competition from new portable gaming devices powered by Android and PC. I can’t help but think. (That’s 800 pounds in a figurative market share sense. The real thing is a little less.)
The selection in the “gaming” area is very limited and barely better than a budget tablet. But what about…
e-book reader
If you’re looking for a small tablet, you’re likely looking for one that’s comfortable to use with one hand, and you’re probably planning on reading for long periods of time. While small high-end tablets are clearly becoming a niche market, there’s been an explosion in the field of high-quality e-readers. Thanks to the availability of E-ink screens, many companies are using color to take on Amazon’s Kindle…and they’re doing it with Android-powered tablets.
My choice here is the Boox Tab Mini C. At 7.8 inches, it has a more square-ish 1872 x 1404 screen, making it quite similar to the iPad Mini in both size and feel in the hand. Despite using an e-paper display, tabletI’m not much of a reader. The Kaleido color screen and relatively fast refresh times are good enough to handle books and comics, as well as web browsing and email. It’s also very easy on the eyes (literally) even after long periods of use. The front lighting allows it to work in the dark, although it’s not ideal.
However, there are some compromises. Although Boox uses Android software, it’s actually running on an older Android 11 build with a lot of customizations. You have access to the Google Play Store, but expect third-party apps to have a lot of quirks. Screen updates are so sparse that videos are almost unwatchable, and games more action-packed than checkers are banned.
Sure, it’s a much better reader than the iPad Mini, but it’s not a great all-around tablet. And if that’s what you’re looking for in this $350 price range, you might be more comfortable with the Kindle Paperwhite, warts and all. (The downside in this case is a black and white screen and no access to third-party apps.) The Kobo Libra Color is a good middle ground between the two, with less restricted access to more books and comics. However, the range is not wide. – Open access to Android apps.
Even Apple can’t do this forever.
It’s worth pointing out that even though it’s the de facto standard for small high-end tablets, Apple has made some compromises. We mentioned that the iPad Mini hasn’t been updated in three years, but even the new model isn’t what fans really wanted. It’s powered by the same A17 Pro chip as the iPhone 15…but not the M-series chip that the iPad Air and iPad Pro upgraded to years ago. Macworld calls this a “minor update” to an already outdated design.
So even Apple thinks its $500 tablet will work fine with mobile hardware and won’t have access to the great multitasking features of the big guys. That brings the iPad Mini’s features, not to mention its price and appearance, uncomfortably close to the standard iPad ($350). Even within Apple’s own lineup, the iPad Mini is being squeezed from above and below.
At this point, I’m tempted to plead with Samsung to revisit the small high-end tablet category. I have fond memories of my 2014 Galaxy Tab S 8.4. It’s one of the few small tablets with an OLED screen, a focus on multitasking, and great accessory support. If I had my wish, I would also mention Google.
But when I explain the reality of the tablet market at this point, the truth is that I fully understand why no one is trying to compete here. If even Apple doesn’t believe in a tablet small enough to offer the best hardware, there’s no point in chasing this particular waterfall. It’s a shame.
